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Abscessed Tooth Center - Scranton, PA

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Scranton, Pennsylvania

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Abscessed Tooth

What are the symptoms of an abscessed tooth?

A toothache that is severe and continuous and results in gnawing or throbbing pain or sharp or shooting pain are common symptoms of an abscessed tooth. Other symptoms may include:

What does an abscessed tooth look like?
  • Fever
  • Pain when chewing
  • Sensitivity of the teeth to hot or cold
  • Bitter taste in the mouth
  • Foul smell to the breath
  • Swollen neck glands
  • General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling
  • Redness and swelling of the gums
  • Swollen area of the upper or lower jaw
  • An open, draining sore on the side of the gum

If the root of the tooth dies as a result of infection, the toothache may stop. However, this doesn't mean the infection has healed; the infection remains active and continues to spread and destroy tissue. Therefore, if you experience any of the above listed symptoms, it is important to see a dentist even if the pain subsides.

How is an abscessed tooth diagnosed?

Your dentist will probe your teeth with a dental instrument. If you have an abscessed tooth, you will feel pain when the tooth is tapped by your dentist's probe. Your dentist will also ask you if your pain increases when you bite down or when you close your mouth tightly. In addition, your dentist may suspect an abscessed tooth because your gums may be swollen and red.

Your dentist may also take X-rays to look for erosion of the bone around the abscess.

How is an abscessed tooth treated?

Strategies to eliminate the infection, preserve the tooth, and prevent complications are the goals of treatment for an abscessed tooth.

To eliminate infec...

Recommended Reading Related to Abscessed Tooth

Toothache »

What is a toothache?

"Toothache" usually refers to pain around the teeth or jaws primarily as a result of a dental condition. In most instances, toothaches are caused by tooth problems, such as a dental cavity, a cracked tooth, an exposed tooth root, or gum disease. However, disorders of the jaw joint (temporo-mandibular joint) can also cause pain that is referred to as "toothache." The severity of a toothache can range from chronic and mild to sharp and excruciating. The pain may be aggravated by chewing or by cold or heat. A thorough oral examination, which includes dental X-rays, can help determine whether the toothache is coming from a tooth or jaw problem and the cause.

Sometimes, a toothache may be caused by a problem not originating from a tooth or the jaw. Pain around the teeth and the jaws can be symptoms of diseases of the heart (such as angina or heart attack), ears (such as inner or external ear infections), and sinuses (air passages of the cheekb...

Emergency Contact for Scranton

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Scranton Hospitals *

Mercy Hospital of Scranton
746 Jefferson Ave
Scranton, PA 18510
(570)348-7100

Moses Taylor Hospital
700 Quincy Ave
Scranton, PA 18510
(570)340-2100

Community Medical Center
1800 Mulberry St
Scranton, PA 18510
(570)969-8000

Allied Services Rehabilitation Hospital
475 Morgan Hwy
Scranton, PA 18508
(570)348-1300

Mid-Valley Hospital
1400 Main St
Peckville, PA 18452
(570)383-5500

Clarks Summit State Hospital
1451 Hillside Dr
Clarks Summit, PA 18411
(570)586-2011

Marian Community Hospital
100 Lincoln Ave
Carbondale, PA 18407
(570)281-1000

Wilkes Barre VA Medical Center
1111 E End Blvd
Wilkes Barre, PA 18711
(570)824-3521

Kindred Hospital Wyoming Valley
575 N River St
Wilkes Barre, PA 18764
(570)552-7620

Wilkes Barre General Hospital
575 N River St
Wilkes Barre, PA 18702
(570)829-8111

John Heinz Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine
150 Mundy St
Wilkes Barre, PA 18702
(570)826-3800

First Hospital Wyoming Valley
562 Wyoming Ave
Kingston, PA 18704
(570)552-3900

Clear Brook Manor
1100 E Northampton St
Laurel Run, PA 18706
(570)823-1171

Geisinger South Hospital Wilkes-Barre
25 Church St
Wilkes Barre, PA 18765
(570)826-3100

Tyler Memorial Hospital
880 SR 6 W
Tunkhannock, PA 18657
(570)836-2161

Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center
1000 E Mountain Blvd
Wilkes Barre, PA 18711
(570)826-7300

Mercy Special Care Hospital
128 W Washington St
Nanticoke, PA 18634
(570)735-5000

Wayne Memorial Hospital
601 Park St
Honesdale, PA 18431
(570)253-8100

Endless Mountains Health Systems
3 Grow Ave
Montrose, PA 18801
(570)278-3801

Clear Brook Lodge
890 Bethel Hill Rd
Shickshinny, PA 18655
(570)864-3116

Barnes-Kasson Hospital
2872 Turnpike St
Susquehanna, PA 18847
(570)853-3135

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